Nintendo director and designer Shigeru Miyamoto has confirmed Mario won't be coming back to smartphones like iPhone.
'Mario Run' wasn't a big hit on mobile
Nintendo has released a range of titles on mobile devices like iPhone. They have seen middling success, but they never penetrated the market in the way such popular intellectual properties usually would.
In an extensive interview with Variety, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto spoke about mobile gaming and the future of Mario. While he didn't have any announcements about upcoming titles, he confirmed Mario wouldn't be returning to smartphones.
After $60 million of earnings from "Super Mario Run" in its first year, and $300 million generated for "Mario Kart Tour" since its 2019 debut, it was clear Mario wasn't winning mobile. For comparison, "Mario Kart 8" has raked in $3 billion on the Nintendo Switch console.
"Having Mario games as mobile apps expands the doorway for far more audience to experience the game, and also expands the Mario gaming experience, where you only need your thumb on one hand," said Miyamoto. Despite that, he also stated that "mobile apps will not be the primary path of future Mario games."
Nothing was said of the other Nintendo properties on iPhone. "Animal Crossing Pocket Camp" and "Fire Emblem Heroes" are both still actively being updated in the App Store.
The franchise's future is in question, with "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" coming to theaters Wednesday, April 5. While Miyamoto wouldn't elaborate on where the character will appear next, it is clear it won't be on mobile.